President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following prolonged political instability and constitutional breaches by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration.

In a decisive move, Tinubu suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

To restore governance and security in the state, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) as the Administrator, tasked with stabilizing the situation and ensuring the smooth operation of government affairs.

Recall that the political turmoil in Rivers State, which began in late 2023, escalated when Governor Fubara ordered the demolition of the State House of Assembly on December 13, 2023. Over a year later, the legislature has not been rebuilt, effectively crippling the legislative arm of government.

The crisis further deepened following disputes between the governor and 27 lawmakers who defected from the ruling party, leading to judicial interventions.

On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the legislative arm of government had been unlawfully collapsed, stating:

“A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case, the head of the executive arm has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without it as a despot. As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.”

Despite various peace efforts by political stakeholders, religious leaders, and civil society organizations, the crisis persisted, prompting the President’s intervention.

Recent intelligence reports indicated a surge in militant activities, including pipeline vandalism and threats of violence against perceived opponents of the governor. According to the President, security agencies have been directed to ensure the protection of lives and critical national infrastructure in Rivers State.

Additionally, the inability of the executive and legislative arms to work together stalled governance, including the failure to pass the 2025 Appropriation Bill, thereby denying citizens access to government programs and services.

Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency to restore constitutional order and protect citizens.

Under the emergency rule: Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) will oversee governance in Rivers State.

The judicial arm will remain unaffected and continue its operations. The Administrator will not enact new laws but may propose necessary regulations for approval by the Federal Executive Council.

The proclamation has been published in the Federal Gazette and submitted to the National Assembly for approval.

President Tinubu also expressed hope that this intervention would restore peace, governance, and the rule of law in Rivers State. He urged political actors to respect constitutional principles, emphasizing that the emergency measures aim to protect democracy and not undermine it.

The Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged annexation of the country’s mangrove islands and maritime territories by the Republic of Cameroon. The committee is expected to report back with necessary recommendations in the next two months.

As part of its resolutions, the Senate has urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate steps to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial waters, including securing over 2,560 oil wells identified within the disputed mangrove islands in Akwa Ibom State.

The Senate leadership has also committed to engaging directly with President Tinubu to explore diplomatic solutions to the crisis.

Lawmakers during plenary on Tuesday, underpinned the need for urgent action to prevent further escalation of what they described as a “provocation by the Republic of Cameroon”.

Leading the motion under Orders 41 and 51, Senator Aniekan Bassey had raised an alarm over the economic and territorial implications of Cameroon’s encroachment into Nigerian territory.

Senator Bassey said that the affected mangrove islands, located in Efiat, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, were not part of the territories ceded to Cameroon under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling of October 2002.

He lamented that Cameroonian security forces, known as the Gendarmes, had imposed foreign laws on Nigerians living in 16 ancestral villages in the affected areas, a situation he described as a “monumental national embarrassment”.

The motion also highlighted that the illegal annexation violates multiple international agreements, with lawmakers advocating for a review of the ICJ judgment and calling for the matter to be reported to the United Nations Convention.

Police authorities in Rivers have arrested two persons over the Trans-Niger Pipeline explosion that rocked the Bodo community of the state and have also begun an investigation into the matter.

The explosion which ripped through the mangrove happened on Monday night but has been put out.

However, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command Grace Iringe-Iroko said some persons have been taken in for questioning over the incident.

“The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire. In connection with this, two individuals have been taken in for questioning as part of efforts to uncover any potential act of sabotage,” the police spokesperson said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

According to her, security operatives during a night patrol observed the incident which happened at the border of Kpor and Bodo communities, and alerted the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) which operates the pipeline.

“The latter initiated necessary safety protocols, including shutting down the affected pipeline,” Iringe-Iroko said.

“As a result of swift intervention, the situation is now under control, and there is no further threat to residents or the environment.”

Some residents of the area were later seen around the scene of the incident trying to keep watch over the place.

The Minister of Regional Affairs Abubakar Momoh had earlier said details of the incident are sketchy but investigations are ongoing over the explosion.

“Up till this moment, we have not been able to get clear details as to what caused that very explosion but investigations are going on,” the minister said on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics.

He, however, said “a clear picture” of what happened will be revealed, “in due time”.

The pipeline transports crude to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.